Art by Midjourney
What is AI art? Is it a threat to illustrators? Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry share everything you need to know about this rapidly-advancing technology.
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SHOW LINKS
The AI That Creates Any Picture You Want, Explained
Midjourney
Stable Diffusion
Wombo
Brittney Lee illustration
Jon Klassen illustration
Brad Holland art
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The world is constantly changing, but those who are proactive and creative can find new ways to succeed, no matter what happens.
Your value as an artist lies in your ability to synthesize your experiences with your technical ability. AI will continue to develop, but it can’t compete with your human perspective.
Your art is only as good as what you consume.
QUESTIONS
Jenifer asks: “I've seen a lot of conversation recently around how AI art might become an issue in the art community as it gets better at imitating human-made illustrations. Is AI a threat to commercial artists? Will there be copyright issues when technology can replicate an artist’s style?”
If you’re not familiar, AI technology creates images based on specific prompts given by humans. The results can be anything from frighteningly accurate to slightly disturbing. As it improves, some are concerned that AI will make human illustrators obsolete. At this time, although its results can be impressive, AI isn’t sophisticated enough to take over the illustration field. However, as technology improves, that could become a more realistic possibility.
If you're a professional illustrator, this may seem like a cause for panic, but not so fast! Your value as an artist doesn’t rest solely in your technical skill; it’s based on your ability to synthesize human experiences and emotions into images. AI lacks this human element. Your job, then, is to capitalize on the humanity of your work as much as possible. There will always be a market for work that is human-made with heart.
Since we can’t prevent technology from advancing, we might as well learn how to benefit from it! Sending prompts through an image generator such as Midjourney can provide interesting new takes on concepts you’re working with. Creative people can use AI as a resource like Pinterest: it’s a great way to get inspired, and a jumping-off point for your own ideas.
Some are concerned that AI’s ability to mimic artistic styles will result in copyright infringement. This may or may not be true, but mimicry happens every day, even without AI. Artists imitate other artists who inspire them, and there’s not much anyone can do to prevent that. It’s best to focus on what you can control: making the art you want to make and sharing it with the world.
In a nutshell, AI is a threat to those who aren’t creative or adaptive, and a tool to those who are. Use it to enhance your process if it serves you, but don’t fear it. Keep telling stories with your art and you’ll find a way to succeed, no matter what technology comes along.
LINKS
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
Will Terry: willterry.com. Instagram: @willterryart, Youtube: WillTerryArt
Lee White: leewhiteillustration.com. Instagram: @leewhiteillo
Daniel Tu: danieltu.co.
Lily Howell: lilycamille.com
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